Where I Come From

Where I come from,
a $1400 a month house payment
is outrageous.

That's, like, $16,800 a year--
some young person's yearly salary . . .

But I keep thinking about these two homes
we saw yesterday:

Home Simon Ct: Lovely back yard
with tree-lined property
at the end of a cul de sac.

Shady.

Nice deck for breakfasting in the summer . . .
crab apple tree and others.
Hot tub negotiable. Great place to entertain.
Wood floors (and nasty pink carpet that
would have to go). Fireplace. 3 stories. Spacious.
Bad windows.
On market for over a year--should be bargin worthy.

Home Bunting Ct: A mature willow tree.
Need I say more?
Yet, I will. A gazebo w/hot tub. Included.
Wonderful deck
and stone work. A cherry tree.
$2,ooo less than above.
Workable windows.
Neutral carpeting. No wood floors. :-(
Location--suburbs. Suburbs.
Basement not finished.
Did I mention Gazebo w/hot tub?
Fireplace. Spacious. Much better bathrooms.
Only 10 days on the market; Probably won't bargin.

The first $1400, no problem, but after that?
Over and over again? Year after year? A third of our
net on housing?

Yet, there seems to be no inbetween in this area;
either I live on the East side where my car radio
gets jerked for the 2x (seriously! 2 days ago) and
I can't even have a grill out on the patio,
or I pay out the *ss for a gazebo and hot tub.

This American life.